Conversation with Frank Russell:

I spoke with Frank for about an hour tonight about Ipo Kai. It was based on the Makai model (Imua). They added passages into the hulls. The original plans called for a lower cabin. Mr. Russell as 6'4" and wanted more cabin room, so they raised the cabin roof. Mr. Russell was friends with Buddy Ebsen and shared a cabin with him in the Ensenada race on Sea Smoke. Buddy would visit Mr. Russell when he came to New York. Frank says the pictures he has of Ipo kai's construction show primarily Warren Seaman and Alfred Kumalai doing the actual building.

The Ipo Kai was one of the last CSK's built and had the advantage of the lessons they had learned over the years. Rudy was very fond of the design.

The sink had a hand pump connected to 5 gal Jerry cans mounted below.

There was a built-in ice chest in the forward port cockpit seats.

When running, they had a rubber preventer that went around the boom, which was connected to a block attached to the lifting points, and then run to a winch. That helped preven gibes, as well as giving a flatter sail shape.

The sail had the same connections on the rear crossbeam as it does now. However there was no track on the cross piece for lashing the tramp.

Originally, the front cross piece was an aluminum tube, which bent in heavy weather when an avon on the tramp was filled with a large wave.

The bunks in the front hulls are actually structural supports to maintain the hull shape.

The asymetric hulls on CSKs can sometimes overpower the helm on a beam reach and fall off the wind. This is partly because the CSK sail plan derives most of its power from the genoa/head sails, rather than the main, so there is a lot of force on the front of the boat. Combined with the asymetric shape of the leeward hull on a beam reach when the windward hull is mostly out of the water, the boat can sometimes overpower the helm and veer off the wind. Frank thought the wing mast would add more power to the main sail and help overcome that tendency.

The Ipo Kai hulls stayed dry under sail and at anchor. They didn't have the problems created by the flush hatches that were refitted on the Makai.

Ipo Kai originally had a 35 hp 2 stroke outboard with 5 5" extensions. The engine nacelle was much smaller and higher. Consequently the engine box was higher in the cockpit. It was higher than the entrance to the companionway. Because it was so long, it was stayed with guy wires on each side and in front, to allow it to operate in reverse and to keep it from twisting from torque. It would cruise at 7 or 8 kts in most weather and up to 11 under perfect conditions. They planned to replace it with a 50 hp motor. He thinks we need at least a 25" shaft. More power helps you back out of dangerous situations (a lee shore in bad weather, or a tricky dock in the wind). He did think a 15 hp would work, but it would require more patience. He said most of the later CSKs of our size were outfitted with 50 hp engines.

Frank says boom vangs don't work well on Catamaran's because of the pressure on the bottom of the mast, which is only supported by the flybridge on a cat, rather than going straight down to the keel, as they do on monohulls.

He thought the traveler that Makai used to have on the rear boom sounded like a nice setup.

He thinks the CSKs are much faster than the typical french charter catamaran. They have a smoother ride because of the deep narrow V hulls. They perform well under light winds.

Most of the exterior of Ipo Kai has been sanded, except for the decks. Maybe they don't have to sand the traction part. They have started sanding the interiors. I gave my simplified spreadsheet to Wayne and asked him to add more detail. He said he would. Wayne thought the portholes had been sundamaged and should be replaced for safety, so they have been removed and will be replaced.